colorful

adjective

col·​or·​ful ˈkə-lər-fəl 

1

: having striking colors

colorful scenery

2

a

: full of variety or interest

a colorful description

b

of speech : rude, offensive

… he had begun to gamble and use colorful language …

—Yohannes Edemariam

colorfully

ˈkə-lər-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

colorfulness

ˈkə-lər-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• chromatic
• colored
• kaleidoscopic
• motley
• multicolored
• multihued
• polychromatic
• polychrome
• prismatic
• rainbow
• varicolored
• varied
• variegated
• various

Examples of colorful in a Sentence

I wore a colorful outfit.

He gave a colorful account of his travels.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nicholas Galitzine rocked a very buff physique training to be He-Man, and director Travis Knight showcased many of the colorful heroes and villains, including Jared Leto as the evil Skeletor. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025

The frame’s branches keep it rustic, but the plethora of colorful gerber daisies and ferns at the base add brightness. —Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 3 Apr. 2025

Keep It Fun: For a playful, on-trend look, try pairing your minidress with a colorful pair of sneakers. —Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2025

Instead of competing in terms of producing higher-fidelity and more realistic graphics, which create bigger game files and require faster hardware, Nintendo doubled down on colorful, cartoon graphics and its exclusive characters and franchises. —Kif Leswing, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

color entry 1 + -ful entry 1

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing colorful

• colorful character

Kids Definition

colorful

adjective

col·​or·​ful ˈkəl-ər-fəl 

1

: having noticeable colors

2

: full of variety or interest

a colorful personality

colorfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

colorfulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun